Daly Cherry-Evans’ proposed ‘gentleman’s agreement’ is officially dead after both coaches declared the players will ultimately decide whether they ‘lay down’ in Wednesday’s Origin opener between the NSW Blues and Queensland Maroons in Townsville.
The issue of players staying down after being on the receiving end of a high tackle has been a hot topic in the NRL in recent weeks following the code's crackdown on contact with the head.
Queensland Maroons captain Daly Cherry-Evans on Monday called on both sides not to deliberately milk penalties in Game 1.
But judging by the comments of Maroons coach Paul Green and Blues boss Brad Fittler, neither man has issued a directive to his troops not to test the referees in Game 1.
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“I don’t’ think anyone likes seeing that but it’s going to happen,” Green said on the eve of his first match in charge of the Maroons.
“There’s a lot on the line, players play for an advantage. I’m not telling them to do that, the players I don’t think want to do that but in the heat of the battle you don’t have long to think about it.
“I haven’t bought into it, it’s not a concern of mine, the game will play out the way it plays out.”
“They’re all the best players in our game so they know how to play.”
However, Green admits it would be a bad look if gamesmanship by either side decides the historic clash at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
“Take the hitting in the head piece aside, I think we’d hate to see an Origin decided on an innocuous, incidental contact with the head,” he said.
Fittler played down Cherry-Evans’ suggestion but sent a subtle message to players from both sides on the eve of Game 1.
“I didn’t take much notice of the gentleman’s agreement,” Fittler told NRL.com.
“… Across the board that’s up to the players if they want to be seen as an era of people taking dives or not.”
